From your Host – Alvin Lee

Alvin Lee is the founder of Castles Can Fly, a Singapore‑based social enterprise built around sandcastle making, experiential learning and storytelling as tools for connection, creativity and personal discovery. Over the past three decades, his work has evolved from invention and product development into community engagement, outdoor facilitation and social enterprise, creating experiences that help people reflect, collaborate and imagine new possibilities together.

In the 1990s, Alvin invented and patented a sandcastle building system with members of his family, later developing it into Beachworks in the United States, where the product went on to win Toy Product of the Year in the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio in 1997. He later returned to Singapore and was invited to launch Castle Beach as a social enterprise, alongside broader Castles Can Fly and Beautiful Minds programmes focused on experiential education, creativity and community participation.

Over time, Alvin’s work has come to centre on how play, storytelling and shared experience can help people see places — and one another — more deeply. Known for a reflective and accessible facilitation style, he creates spaces where participants can engage with big themes such as resilience, imagination, contribution and care without the experience feeling overly formal or technical.

On this Bintan journey, Alvin acts as host and guide, accompanying guests through conversations with community leaders, university collaborators and conservation practitioners working along the island’s northern coast. His role is to help hold the space: bringing together shoreline encounters, mangrove stories and shared reflections into a journey shaped by curiosity, connection and coastal learning.

Alvin Lee 4

Alvin Lee 3

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TRC Bintan Resort Lagoi

The Hotel	Your Room
TRC Bintan Resort is a simple, beachside property on Bintan’s northern coast, just outside the main Lagoi resort precinct. It offers a quieter, more down‑to‑earth setting than the larger integrated resorts, with direct access to a small private beach, garden areas and nearby mangrove channels. This makes it a practical and relaxed base for travellers and small groups who want to stay close to the coast and village environments rather than in a fully gated resort. Rooms are straightforward and air‑conditioned, with private bathrooms and basic comforts such as fresh linens, towels and in‑room televisions. For this trip, each participant has their own room as standard, with couples or friends able to share on request. The resort’s service‑minded staff are used to welcoming mixed groups and can help with simple needs during your stay. On‑site, TRC includes core amenities such as reception, Wi‑Fi in common areas, and a small restaurant space where simple Indonesian dishes can be arranged. Outdoor areas and a modest beachfront provide informal places to sit, talk and unwind at the end of each day, with the sea and sky close at hand. TRC Bintan Resort is not a luxury property, but its coastal location and informality make it well suited as a base for explorers, learners and conscious travellers who value being close to the shoreline, mangroves and nearby communities. It anchors the Lagoi part of your Bintan experience, keeping you near both the ferry terminal and the coastal landscapes that shape this journey.	Rooms at TRC Bintan Resort are simple, air‑conditioned spaces designed to give you a comfortable place to sleep, shower and regroup between coastal activities. Each room includes a private bathroom with hot‑water shower, fresh linens and towels, and basic amenities such as an in‑room television. For this journey, rooms are booked on single occupancy as the standard, with couples or friends able to share on request. The emphasis is on rest, privacy and ease rather than resort‑style extras, so you can spend your energy on the mangroves, communities and coastal landscapes you’re here to experience. Windows in most rooms look towards the garden, beachfront or surrounding resort area, keeping you connected to the feel of Bintan’s northern coast even when you’re back inside. Taken together, these rooms offer a straightforward, relaxed base for explorers and learners who value a quiet night’s sleep close to the sea.

Hosted Learning

Exclusions

• Other personal expenses (laundry, drinks, mini‑bar, etc.)

• Optional activities not specified in the itinerary

• Tips and gratuities

• Travel insurance

• Indonesian visa fees payable on arrival (if applicable for your nationality)

• International and domestic flights, ferries and transfers not mentioned in the programme

• Any services not clearly included in the programme

Key information & remarks

• Prices are net per person in Singapore Dollars (SGD) and are subject to change without prior notice.​

• No refund is provided for any un‑utilised portion of the this package once travel has commenced.​

• English‑speaking local host/guide is included.

Child policy

• This experience is offered only to people over the age of 18.​

Cancellation policy

Cancellation charges apply to the total package price as follows:

• More than 60 days before arrival – Free of charge

• More than 45 days before arrival – 30%

• Less than 21 days before arrival – 50%

• Less than 14 days before arrival – 80%

• Failure to travel / no‑show on the day of arrival – 100%

All cancellations must be received in writing; the effective date is when written notice reaches Australian Cultural Travel Pty Ltd.​

Travel rules and policy – Indonesia

• Travellers are responsible for ensuring they meet all Indonesian entry, visa and health requirements for their nationality at the time of travel.

• Entry rules, visa policies and health protocols (including any COVID‑19‑related measures, if in force) may change; guests should check current requirements with official Indonesian government sources and/or their airline before departure.

Local culture and dress

• Bintan has a warm tropical climate year‑round; light, breathable clothing is recommended, along with a hat, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes or sandals.​

• Indonesia is generally modest in dress; please bring at least one outfit that covers shoulders and knees for village visits, university visits and community meetings.

• Guests are asked to respect local customs and traditions, particularly when visiting homes, mosques, campuses or community facilities.

Tipping

• Tipping is discretionary but very much appreciated by local guides, drivers and service staff.

• As a guideline only, guests may consider small tips for good service at restaurants or for local guides and drivers at the end of activities or the journey.​

Safety and security

• Guests are advised to use a neck wallet or money belt for passports, cash and cards, and to leave expensive jewellery and valuables at home.

• Many hotels provide safety deposit boxes for secure storage of important items.

• When selecting this journey, please read the brochure and itinerary carefully to assess your ability to cope with the physical requirements (uneven surfaces, boats, heat and humidity).

Operator and emergency contact

• This programme is operated by Australian Cultural Travel Pty Ltd, a company associated with and supporting Guild of Life Limited, a Singapore non‑profit.​

• For questions before or during travel, please contact:

  • Name: Kim Burton

  • Email: kim.burton@greenculturaltravel.com

  • Phone / WhatsApp: +61 483 342 837

In case of arrival complications or delays, guests should contact the above number or email as soon as possible so that assistance can be arranged.​